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Talk about Caribbean Adventure!! Meet Emily Kydd.

If you thought the Caribbean was mostly about sun, sand, and sea experiences, this blog post will knock your socks off. Although the Caribbean is a relatively small region, we have a huge list of exhilarating activities that will thrill and excite you again and again.

In a previous post I mentioned that 2017 is the Year of Adventure in the Caribbean and so I asked travelers to share their Caribbean travel adventure stories with us. Why? Because there is no better way to talk about the Caribbean’s amazing experiences than to let travelers tell the story themselves, so we asked our own Kristy Morris to interview Emily Kydd, a world-class adventurer, blogger and ardent lover of the Caribbean.

What inspired you to leave (Canada) and visit the Caribbean?

The first time I visited the Caribbean was by accident. I just needed to dive that blue hole. I loved the water. I loved the laid back vibe and the food. This was in 2009. I came to Cuba in 2015, I wanted to get there before other people got there. It is so rich in culture. Now I am living in Jamaica. I just love the region.

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd

2. What were some of your most adventurous Caribbean activities?

I dove the blue hole in Belize. It is amazing being in a place that is so renowned and epic. I can’t believe I’m in the same place that appears in books. It is mind blowing.

Source: Wikimedia Commons, free media repository

I climbed the Gros Piton in Saint Lucia, exhausting but beautiful. The view from Mount Piton is so awe inspiring. You see the beautiful landscape juxtaposed against the Caribbean Sea behind it.

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd

I flew over Kaieteur Falls in Guyana. Spontaneous activity. I just bit the bullet and threw it on my credit card, I just had to do it. I don’t regret it at all. Breathtaking, cliché term, but it really is. Really expensive activity, but absolutely worth it!

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd

3. A recent trend among travelers nowadays is the desire to engage in more authentic experiences within the places they visit. Do you agree?

100% agree. This is in my opinion, the point of traveling. If you are not going to engage in the place you’re visiting, then what’s the point? It’s like you’ve only visited a tanning bed! I like to get off the beaten track. It’s not only beneficial for yourself to get out there and explore new places while learning about different cultures, but it is also important on the wider scale. It is good for the destination’s community in terms of sustainable tourism development. If you’re lucky enough to stay in a family home, that’s even better!

Curacao Floating Market

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd

Eating Iguana Soup at the Curacao Floating Market – “Eating iguana is interesting. The soup was quite tasty, with some veggies and spices thrown in for bulk. The broth is slightly thick and the aroma pleasing.”- Emily Kydd

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd

4. Are there any other Caribbean destinations that you would still like to explore? What are they and why?

All of them. In particular, I am absolutely dying to do the Waitukubuli walking trail in Dominica.

Editor’s Note: The Waitukubuli Walking Trail—named after the Carib Indian name for Dominica meaning “tall is her body” is the Caribbean’s first long distance walking trail that is a must-do for hikers.

Source: Wikimedia Commons, free media repository

I would also love to experience the Carnival in Trinidad.

Blue Devil, one of the traditional characters of Trinidad Carnival.

Photo Credit: Trinidad & Tobago Tourism Development Company

I also heard great things about Grenada and Bonaire.

Grenada Mona Monkey eating nutmeg.

Photo Credit: Grenada Tourism Authority

Bonaire Landscape

Source: Pixabay (public domain)

I would also like to return to Cuba to see the east side of the island, as I only visited the western side back in 2015.

Vinales Cuba – Rumba Music Video

Video Credit: Emily Kydd

5. Tell us more about your travel website “See Her Travel”.

I’ve been blogging since 2005. Blogging was a very new concept. During the time I was taking some time off to go backpacking across Southeast Asia. Instead of sending email blasts to my friends about my trip, I just started a blog for them to go to and read on their own time. I have a very tech savvy internet ready friend, and he assessed my writing on another platform and suggested I started my own blog/website.

Who’s the target audience? Anyone who loves to travel. My blog is for anyone who loves to read travel stories. I write very anecdotally. I love to recount the little details about my travel experiences. For example, when I was in Saint Lucia, I was on a public transport bus and ended up playing with a baby sitting next to me. I really like to make travel come alive for people through my writing. It’s also important to open yourself up a little bit. I want to make people understand how these experiences make you feel. I love when people comment and write to me in a private message to get travel advice.

I write my travel blogs differently than a lot of other bloggers. I write from the heart. I write something that I would want to read. It’s’ real. It’s’ authentic. As the concept/trend of storytelling becomes more prevalent, it adds value to what I’m doing.

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd

7. As an adventurous single woman, what is your advice to other women traveling to the Caribbean?

Yes, I am a single, adventurous woman. I’m all about just going for it. Get out of your comfort zone. There is fantastic infrastructure in the Caribbean. Go beyond the main tourist attraction. Hire a driver for the day and drive around a destination to learn more about the place.

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd

8. How does the Caribbean compare to other parts of the world where you have travelled?

The language makes it very easy. I’ve travelled places where language is different. The food is great. Transportation is pretty easy. Getting around in Saint Lucia and Jamaica is pretty easy. I’m always on public transportation.

9. How do you decide what you want to do in a particular Caribbean destination?

I’m not the best at planning. But I always look for something I haven’t done. That’s how I ended up paddle boarding. I went on the Curaçao official tourism website and found out about paddle boarding. I wouldn’t do a bus tour, I would prefer an ATV* tour. Traveling is a luxury, so I’m really lucky to be doing what I do. I normally leave it up to the travel gods and often they are really good to me!

Editor’s Note: An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a quad, quad bike, three-wheeler or four-wheeler is the ultimate riding adventure. Many Caribbean countries offer ATV tours that take visitors along dirt tracks and animal trails to enjoy the natural beauty of a Caribbean off-road journey.

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd, “Stand Up Paddle Boarding Tour in Curaçao”

Photo Credit: Emily Kydd, “Stand Up Paddle Boarding Tour in Curaçao”

10. Is there an adventure you wish we had in the Caribbean?

It has everything I like to do, so not really. I guess the only thing the Caribbean doesn’t have is snowy mountains, but I don’t like snow. I like to go fishing. The interior of the islands is stunning. I’m basically up for anything. When I was in Saint Lucia, I tried to go kitesurfing but it wasn’t the season so I have to go back to do it.

Emily’s adventures are among the millions of thrills vacationers experience in the Caribbean every year. To share yours with us, post your photos and videos on social media using the hashtag #CaribbeanAdventure or feel free to send your stories to us by emailing kristym@caribtourism.com.

If you’re seeking more information about various types of Caribbean Adventures, check out our Year of Adventure 2017 Content Guide. We guarantee you’ll be inspired to pack your bags and get your Caribbean adventure started! To view the complete guide, click here: http://bit.ly/2lu1pi5